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A
telephone card, or phone card for short, is a small card,
usually resembling a credit card, used to pay for telephone
services. The exact system for payment, and the way in which
the card is used to place a phone call, depend on the overall
telecommunication system. But in general a phone card is purchased
with a specific balance, from which the cost of calls made
is deducted. Phone cards are disposable; when the balance
is exhausted, you buy a new card, rather than having the old
one re-filled.
The French payphones were the first large size deployment
of smart cards: instead of change, users would insert a simple
pre-paid smart card from which units would be deducted during
the connection.
In many areas, most public payphones are card-operated, with
the card inserted into a slot to be read like a credit card
(technically more like a debit card, since the charges are
deducted from an existing balance). Other phone cards come
with a code printed on the card, which the user enters in
order to place a call when payment is required. This may be
done either from a public telephone, or on a personal phone
to access long-distance and other services.
Telecom companies have also taken advantage of phone cards
to place advertising on the card, or to feature celebrity
portraits, artwork, or attractive photography to increase
the appeal of the cards to consumers. This practice, combined
with the disposability of the cards (encouraging individuals
to purchase multiple cards), has led some people to start
collecting phone cards as a hobby.
Costs of prepaid telephone cards vary based on whether or
not a conection fee is assessed. Some rates are as low a 1
cent per minute, but there is ofter a 69 cent connection fee
and 3-minute billing. Wal-Mart sells calling cards reloadable
in as little as 50 cent, 10 minute levels (5 cents a minute).
Target varies in price, ranging from 4.95 to 7 cents depending
on the size of the card; during certain specials rates fall
to as little as 3 cents a minute.
See also:
• Calling Card
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This
article is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia
article "Phone Card".
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